For prepper’s, aluminum foil is one of the most useful and versatile items. Everyone sees a cheap item that only does one thing rather poorly. Preppers see a survival powerhouse that can save lives.
Is Aluminum Foil Waterproof?
In general, yes tin foil is waterproof. You don’t have to worry if you spill water on your tin foil or not.
This is one of the reasons why there are so many survival uses for tin foil.
Can You Boil Water In Tin Foil?
Yes, you can boil water in tin foil. This is one of the ways you can boil water without a pot.
This is another benefit for why we should pack it in our survival and camping kits. If you don’t have a pot or any other way to boil water, which is essential especially in the Winter months, you can always grab the some and be able to use that to boil water.
Watch this video on how to do it.
15 Survival Uses For Aluminum Foil
If you don’t carry some foil with you in your survival kits or just have it stocked where you live, you’re missing out. Here are 15 reasons to be loyal to the foil.
1. Scaring Birds
You can scare the birds away from your gardens by using foil.
2. Pot Scrubber
I prefer to do this so I never have to even have a metal scrubber around the house. Don’t need to worry about buying or storing them. I just grab some foil.
3. Keep Your Matches Dry
Tin foil is essentially waterproof. So to keep your matches safe and dry. You can make waterproof matches by covering them with it.
4. Make a DIY Signaling Mirror
Tin foil is reflective. It makes a great material to use for creating a signaling mirror in an emergency.
Go here for instructions on how to make mirrors.
5. Use AAA Batteries For AA Spaces
If you need to use an electronic device that covers AA batteries but you only have AAA batteries.
You can use the AAA batteries and it will work. Take a small piece of foil and make it into a ball. Simply fill the gap in between the device and the battery and it should work.
6. Push The Tabs In
When you buy aluminum foil at the store, it comes in this small rectangle box as a roll. And you pull the foil and roll the roll and shred it when you have the amount you want.
It’s not exactly a smooth process because as you pull it out, the entire roll tends to come out with it. So you have to hold down the role as you pull and it’s slightly annoying.
Most people I’ve seen use tin foil don’t know this.
There is a tab on each end of the box. If you push the tabs in, it holds the roll in place so you can roll the tin foil in peace.
7. Boil Water In A DIY Makeshift Bowl
You can use tin foil to make a DIY Makeshift Bowl to boil water.
This video shows you how to make it.
8. Repair Your Gear
Aluminum foil can be used to make temporary patches in your gear. Like a hole in a water bottle for example. You’ll need something that’s sticky to use. If only there was something you could use if you’re camping…
Sap. Sap from pine trees works well with this method. Collect some and use the foil to make quick patches.
9. Insulate Your Shelter
Foil makes a great insulator.
Insulate your survival shelters with tin foil to contain the most amount of heat. You can also insulate your home and really anything else you need.
This is especially important for Winter survival.
10. Protect Trees in the Winter
Protect your trees from the harsh Winter weather with tin foil.
You’ll need some heavy-duty aluminum, but it’s cheaper than using other materials like electric tape. It’s also cleaner and easier to use.
11. Collect Rainwater
You can use tin foil to help collect rainwater. Since tin foil is waterproof, it’s easy to use with water. The DIY bowls in #7 of this list, you can make one or however many you want and use those to collect the rainwater.
12. Sharpen Scissors
Unless you invested in a top of the line pair of scissors and also don’t use them very much, the scissors you do use likely get dull from time to time.
You can sharpen the scissors using nothing else. Here’s how.
Fold the foil over two or three times. Then just cut the foil with your scissors. That’s it. Your scissors will automatically sharpen by the friction that’s caused.
13. Make a DIY Makeshift Frying Pan
There are a couple of different ways you can make your own frying pan using aluminum foil. This method is the most popular.
Here’s is a popular video showing you exactly how.
14. Make Food Packets
Using tin foil to make food packets is perfect for cooking on a camping trip. You can wrap food in tin foil and cook them. The heat contained in the pocket of foil works very well with cooking, especially with spices.
Watch this video.
15. Make Fishing Lures
You’re setting up your rod about to cast for the first time into the lake ready to relax with a brew.
You don’t have any bait… or you ran out.
But you have tin foil in your fishing kit. You can make fishing lures with tin foil and use them for bait. All you do is wrap the hook around in a piece of foil and that’s it. Fish can’t help themselves. Think of it as shiny object syndrome for fish.
Conclusion
I’d say it’s worth packing some aluminum foil in all your bags and kits. I would take the foil out of the packaging it comes in, the roll.
And fold some foil to pack it. That way it takes up practically zero space.
Have you used aluminum foil in a survival situation before?
